Neymar matches Pele with one of Brazil’s rarest World Cup achievements after his historic comeback against Scotland

Neymar celebrated his long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup by achieving two of the most remarkable feats in Brazilian football history during Brazil’s 3-0 win over Scotland.

After coming on as a second-half substitute at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, the 34-year-old became the fourth Brazilian player to appear in four different World Cup tournaments and only the second to wear the Brazilian No. 10 jersey in four editions of the competition.The appearance ended an absence of more than three years from the World Cup stadiums. Neymar has not participated since Brazil’s quarter-final defeat to Croatia on December 9, 2022, while his last international appearance came on October 17, 2023, when he suffered a serious knee injury during Brazil’s World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.

Neymar joins one of Brazil’s most exclusive World Cup rosters

Brazil’s rich World Cup history dates back to 1930, but only four players have represented the Seleção in four different editions of the tournament.Neymar now joins Pele (1958, 1962, 1966, 1970), Djalma Santos (1954, 1958, 1962, 1966) and Cafu (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006) in that selection after making his debut in the 2026 tournament.

His return also carried another part of history. By wearing the famous Brazilian number.

Shirt number 10 at the 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups, Neymar became the second Brazilian after Pele to wear the country’s most iconic shirt in four separate World Cups.

Brazil secures first place before Neymar returns

Brazil entered the final match of Group C needing at least a draw to guarantee top spot in the group, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side quickly removed any doubts.Vinicius Junior took advantage of a defensive error to open the scoring in the seventh minute, before adding the second goal with a powerful header in stoppage time of the first half.

Matheus Cunha completed the win in the 60th minute after an assist from Bruno Guimarães.

With the result effectively assured, Ancelotti brought on Neymar in the 76th minute to replace Cunha to rapturous applause from the Miami fans.The switch marks Neymar’s first World Cup appearance since Qatar 2022 and his first international match since recovering from a knee injury that kept him out of action for a long period before a recent calf problem delayed his participation in this tournament.

The sharp return provides Brazil with another attacking option

Although Neymar only played 15 minutes, he looked comfortable and calm in his familiar No.10 role.He completed 13 out of 14 passes with a passing accuracy of 92%, created two chances, had one shot on goal, and committed a foul without showing any obvious signs of discomfort. One of his most promising moments came after his own free-kick bounced into his path, allowing him to strike a first-time shot from distance, although Angus Gunn gathered comfortably.

Speaking in the mixed zone after the match, Neymar spoke about his return to the World Cup stage, describing it as “one of the most special days” of his career as he pulled on a Brazil shirt once again on football’s biggest stage.Most importantly for Brazil, Neymar completed the match without any physical setbacks after missing the first two group stage matches.Brazil finished Group C unbeaten with seven points after drawing with Morocco and victories over Haiti and Scotland, ensuring qualification to the round of 32 as group winners.With Neymar now match-ready again, and Vinicius Junior leading the tournament with another impressive display, Carlo Ancelotti heads into the knockout stages with the deepest attacking options Brazil has had since the competition began.